Elevator safety device.



J. KOVACS.

ELEVATOR SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLICATION mu) JAN. 26. 1915.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

5 "W A A we 0 m 1 w 2 m 1 41 I I l m z z 5 2 L? 2, 0 J 0 w 3 n m E m W 3 6 H 4 00 F M M COLUMBIA PLANOGRAIH CDUWASHINGTON, n. c.

J. KOVACS.

ELEVATOR SAFETY DEVICE.

KPPLICATION FILED JAN.26. 1915.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET Z.

HIE/$0M W11 @TAEti PATEN FF1Qt JOHN KQVACS, or rronrrs'rnn, OHIO.

ELEVATOR SAFETY DEVICE.

Specification of iietters Patent.

PatentedNov. 23', 1915.

Application filed. January 26, 1915. Serial No. 4,471.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, JOHN :KOVACS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hollister, in the county of Athens and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevator Safety Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and the lower sides ofan elevator car bottom,

such devices'being normally held unlocked by the taut car hoisting cable, but instantly releasable for assuming locking engagement with the elevator shaft members upon a severing of the cable. 7

A still further object of the invention is to provide normally inoperative locking members upon an elevator car adapted to be automatically released in the event of an accident to the hoisting mechanism and thus preventing the car from dropping and thereby obviating any injury to the car contents, buifeting supporting means being provided at intervals in the elevator shaftfor receiving and supporting the car.

With these general objects in view an others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the sameconsists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings forming a part of this and showing the car bottom in bottom plan and with the mechanism casing removed, the mechanism being shown in its operative released locking position. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the members shown in Fig. 1, the hoisting cable being'severed. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the side guide timbers of the elevator shaft at a-po'int adjacent the supporting notches thereof, and partially broken away, and Fig. 6 is a detail vertical sectional view of a portion of i the car bottom and looking toward one end of the car. 7

Referring more in detail to the drawings,

it will be noted that the elevator shaft is provided with substantially the usual'form i of framework which includes opposite guide beams 10 and a top cross beam 11, the latter adapted to support a pulley 12 over which the hoisting cable 13 of the elevator car 14 is adapted to return, the said car being slidably positioned between the beams 10 and having spaced strips or shoes 15 upon its opposite side plates 16 for slidably receiving the guide beams therebetween, and thus directing the vertical movement of the car in the shaft.

The car floor 17 is provided with identical locking means upon both the upper and lower faces thereof, such means being inclosed within casings 18 secured to the opposite faces of the car bottom as best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings.

The description of one of the locking means will suffice for both, and identical designating characters will be employed for like elements. Projectable bolts 19 are flatly arranged longitudinally of thecar bottom at each end thereof and are slidably mounted within perforations 20 of brackets 21, while the inner reduced ends 22 of the said bolts are slidably mounted through perforations in the smaller brackets 23. Expansion springs 24: encircle the reduced portion 22 of the bolts and tend to normally project the bolts, the said springs being tensioned between the brackets 23 and the shoulders 25 of the bolts.

A bolt operating lever 26 is pivoted as at 27 to the car bottom and is provided with flexible connections such as cords 28 between the inner ends of the bolts and joints 29 which are spaced at equal distances at opposite sides of the said pivot 27. The operating lever is provided with a projecting handle 30 having an actuating cord 31 se cured thereto, that cord is'adapted as pass through a perforation 32 of the bracket 21 and thence over a pulley 33' dar'r-iedthe adjacent side plate of the elevator, the cord then passing upwardly through staples 34: uponthe car roof 35 and being secured to the hoisting cable" 1 3" at a time when the lever 26 retains the locking bolts retractedand with the mechanism positioned as best shown in Fig. 2, It'will of course be understood that the cable 13 being fnorndally taut, and the cord 31 at such times holding the bolts in their normal retracted inoperat-iv e positions,- a severing of the, hoisting cable causing; a relaxingthereof; releases the springs 2% resulting in an outward projecting of the bolts automatically to their locking or engaging positions, as best'illus'trated in .Fig. 3'.

It will be noted that the upper and lower locking means areidentical excepting that the retaining or drop cord 31 passes u'pwardly atan opposite side. .o,f; the car, the free upper ends of both of the said cords being secured: as at 36 to the hoisting: cable asnoted and at a point above the car roof 35. flhe guide beams 10 are provided with open notches" 37 opening inwardly and having recesses 38 for mounting. expansion springs 39 therein and upon the bottoms 40 0f the 1 said recesses, while a block e1- is mounted upon the top of each of the said springs. The notches and: socketsare arranged in pairs as best illustrated in Fig. 5 and are adapted to receive the locking ends of the bolts 19 when the same are pro jeeted,it being understood that whenever the hoisting cable is severed, the resiliently projecting bolts 19 will bear against the in ner, faces 12 of the guide beams, and will slide thereon until the descending car brings the bolts in alinement with the notches 3T when the free ends of the bolts will be projected therein and will enter the recesses 38 and being received upon the resiliently mounted blocks 4:1, the drop of the ear will be cushioned and the further fall of the car will be prevented. It will be noted that under some circumstances only one set of the locking bolts will be engaged with the retainingnotches, while the two sets of lockingmeans' are provided for insuring a complete operation of the device, while under certain conditions, both of said sets of bolts will engage the receiving notches for retaining the car, it being also understood that these notches and recesses may be arranged at regular intervals throughout the entire height of the guide beams. Cover plates -13 are: secured to the opposite sides of the guide beams for closing the opposite sides of the said notches and recesses;

The complete operation of the device will be apparent from this detailed description thereof, the entire mechanism being adapted for installation both upon new and old elevators, the same being easily and cheaply manufactured, although possessing great efficiency in the prevention of accidents.

,lVhile the form of the invention herein shown and" described is what is, believed to be the preferred embodiment thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asset forth in the claim.

What is claimed as new is 'In a device of the kind described, the combination with vertical guide beams having spaced notches formed on their opposed faces, the notches having fiat bottoms and inclined upper faces, a pin projecting upward from the bottom of each notch, a spring mounted upon the pin in each notch, asupporting block secured in the upper end of each spring, cover plates carried by said beams to close the opposite sides of the notches whereby to form sockets, an elevator car slidably mounted between the beams and means carried by the elevator car adapted to engage the blocks when released and stop downward movement of the car.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses;

v JOHN KOVACS.

Witnesses:

A, J. CRANroRn, WM. SEILER.

of pate'hi'ni'ay t obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 7 Washington, D. C. 

